Campaign finance reports are in for the Montana gubernatorial race covering the period covering Aug. 16 through Sept. 15, and Democrat Mike Cooney outraised Republican Greg Gianforte $670,000 to $334,000, while Gianforte self-funded an additional $1 million. Cooney held a $455,000 to $260,000 cash-on-hand lead, but Gianforte’s ability to keep pouring in his own money means that this edge may not last long.
Both candidates, though, are getting additional support from the national parties, and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is up with two commercials that use Gianforte’s words against him … including one truly bizarre address the Republican made to Montana Bible College years ago where he used Noah to argue against the idea of retirement.
The narrator begins: “This is what Greg Gianforte thinks about your hard-earned Social Security,” and the audience then hears the candidate say:
“The example I think of is Noah. How old was Noah when he built the ark? Six-hundred, yeah, ok. He wasn't like, cashing Social Security checks, he wasn't hanging out, he was working, right? So, I think we have an obligation to work.”
The narrator jumps back in and says: “No wonder Gianforte voted to put Social Security and Medicare at risk, but got a $3 million tax break.” The other ad twice utilizes a clip of Gianforte saying that “the fairest tax is the one that you pay and I don’t” to hit him over his support for a state sales tax.
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